POLL Dorsets capped off their feature breed year in spectacular fashion, with the supreme champion prime lamb and maternal breeds ram ribbon won by a Poll Dorset ram from Allendale stud, Bordertown.
Selected as supreme interbreed ram ahead of the champion long-wool ram from AR&JL Hunt, Wye Corriedales, Mount Gambier, the Poll Dorset ram's performance stunned Allendale principal Alastair Day.
"It's a real thrill. We won a supreme interbreed ribbon three years ago with a Suffolk ram, and to win in the feature breed year and the 175th year is really exciting," Mr Day said.
The 140.5-kilogram sire possessed an enviable eye muscle depth of 50 millimetres, with 8.5mm of fat, 15.5 post-weaning weight, -1.3 PW fat and 0.2 PWEMD.
"He's got that excellent Poll Dorset type - a beautiful, strong head and good bone," he said. "He's also a very long sheep with nice muscling.
"This is his first show, so he's started pretty well. I think perhaps we should retire him."
The supreme champion prime lamb and maternal breeds ewe also came from a short-wool breed, with Greg Good, Bowen Suffolk stud, Millthorpe, NSW, winning his second consecutive supreme interbreed ewe ribbon, this time with Bowen 344.
"Winning supreme ewe of the show is wonderful - it's a fantastic feeling to go back-to-back," Mr Good said. "The Adelaide Show is the pinnacle, as far as I'm concerned, for the Suffolk breed - there's always such a great line-up of sheep."
Weighing 109kg, with meat measurements of 12mm fat, 46mm EMD, 14.3PWWT, -1.3 PW fat, and -0.3 PWEMT, the July 2013-drop ewe particularly impressed Mr Pfeiffer.
"She is one of the best Suffolk ewes I've ever seen," he said.
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 11, 2014 issue.
Jacinta Rose
Stock Journal's online editor.
Stock Journal's online editor.
